MILITARY AT MATARAE

Evening Star, Issue 15479, 29 April 1914, Page 5

MILITARY AT MATARAE

UESEBJU. HAUHTON IN GAMP, [Fboai Con Own Rekwixr.] MATARAE UAMP April 28. General Six lan Hamilton reached comp ibis morning, accompanied by his staff. General GodJey, Colane, banchop, 0.C.D., the Hon. Janies Allen, and Mr G. M. Thomson,' M.P. Ho was met at the siding by the headquarters staff. Major Grant, and the divisional hj «*dquarters staff. Lunch was served in divisional mess, the Bth Regimental Baud furnishing musical selections. After lunch the general witnessed each regiment in training, proceeding well into the hills to see the machine guns taken ic a action. Afterwards he went by motor car to Qladbrook Station, where he is the guest of Mr John Roberts, 0.M.0. Before starting, the general granted a short interview, declining, however; to speak further than upon the local matters that bad come within Lis observation during his few hours in camp- “In the first place,” ho said, “ 1 was struck by the remarkable degree of resemblance between this country and the South African country. I visited every single battalion and unit, and closely watched the men. What they were doing was brigade attack regimentaly, and this was very intelligently carried out. Of course, there was room for improvement, but if there were no improvement possible what necessity would there be for a camp? I was particularly struck with the Army Service Corps, and the splendid way in which they worked to keep the whole show going. They, of course, are the commissariat; and of course their business is the real business, whether as now or in actual warfare.” A STRIKING TRIBUTE. Chaplain-major Dutton, the senior chaplain. in camp, paid a striking tribute this morning to the morale of the camp. "It is the best I have attended,” he said, “and I have attended many. So far as I know—and I am in the way of observing carefully—there has not been the slightest sign of liquor on anyone. In that great infantry camp I have not observed the most remote sign of drink on any man. I can give my absolute word for that." This is remarkable testimony of the morale of this camp, coming as does from a man of Major Dutton’s experience, both in camps and on the actual scene of war operations in Africa, and his testimony is corroborated by the other chaplains, while from another source Cclonel Robin called Matarae Camp the quietest he had been in.

This is a fitting chance to record that the work of the religious institutes her© is regarded as one of the most important factors in the success of the camp. The days are short at this season, and the hours long, and there is hardly a man but confesses that the open doors of the institutes have been a boon to him. MINISTER AND MR THOMSON IN ‘ CAMP.

The Hon. Mr-Alien, better known to the old volunteers as Colonel Alien, went over by motor to Gladhrook with General Hamilton, bnt returned in the evening to visit the religious institutes, accompanied bv Mr G. M. Thomson, M.P. Both gentlemen remained in camp for the night. . The corps break camp early to-morrow for the big manoeuvres. The weather is beautiful.